Packing for elastic-fluid turbines and the like



April 28, 1925. 4,536,014 O. JU NGGR EN PAGKING FOR ELASTIC FLUID TURBINES AND THE LIKE Filed March 23, 1923 //A\i i 33 l5 13 w Inventor:

Oscar Jurrggfen y' flaw His Aitdrney.

' through Patented Apr. 28,

quurrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR JUNGGREN, F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNUB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COLIPANY, CORPORATION OF NEW 'SZ'QRK.

PACKING FOR ELASTICFLlIID TURBINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 23, 1923. Serial No. 627,221.

To all whommag cone grit:

Be it known that I, ()soAR JUNGGREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packings for Elastic-Fluid Tllurbines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to packings for. preventing leakage. between two relatively rotatin bodies and especially to packlugs for elastic fluid turbines.

To still further improve the eiliciency of elastic fluid turbines, the use of actuating .tluid of higher and higher nressure and super heat being continuously resorted to and this makes increasingly diliicult the .jprobleu'i oili providing packings for the machine, particularly tor the high nressure end, on. account ot. the high pressures and ten'iperatures, involved I and the expansion and contraction which takes place when starting up and stopping and also during operation. To reduce leakage to a minimum it necessary that the paclring should have a close clearance and that this clearance be maintained for if the clearance is too great the leakage becomes excessive which de tracts from the ei'liciency of the machine. On the other hand, however, the use of Very .:lose clearances increases the likelihood of rubbing occurring, a thing which mayresult in serious damage to the packing.

.l he object oi. my invention is to'provkle alu improved packing structure which cilicient in preventing leakage'and which will maintain the desired clearance under all conditions oil operation and for aconsideration o'li what I believe to be novel and my iuvcntion attentiou is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing the figure is a sectional view of a packing embodying my invention the lower portion of the section being 0111ll)- ted from the figure.

Referring to the drawing, indicates the shaft of an elastic fluid turbine and 6 the first stage wheel suitably fixed on the shaft. The turbine casing or shell is indicated at 7 the part shown being a portion of the end .wall, and it is provided with an opening 8 which the shaft projects and through the annular spaces between the wall of which and the shaft it is desired to prevent leakage oi? elastic fluid. Shaft 5 is parts which it surrounds.

provided with reduced portions which provide annular shoulders 9 and 10 and a portion 11 which is mounted in the usual bearing, (not shown). 12 indicates the bearing housing and 13 a packing to prevent leakage of oil. 1

The rotating portion of the packing, i. e., the portion carried by the shaft comprises an annular carrying member 15 which surrounds the shaft in spaced relationthereto and is fixed at an intermediate point to the shaft as indicated at 16. As illustrated the carrying member is made in two parts the line of division being indicated at 17 and it fastened against shoulder J by a sleeve in fastened to shoulder 10 by a ring of studs 1%). .This provides annularspaces 20 and 21 between the carrying member and the Fastened to the two ends of carrying member 15 are packing elements 2.2 and 23 each comprising a cylinder on which are annular. packing teeth 2%. Cylinders 22 and 23 are fastened to carrying member 15 preferably by Welding as indicated at 25 and 26. The welding indicatedat 2(i is a continuous weld and that indicat-ed at 25 is a ring of welds at spaced points around the shai't, the welding material being put into holes in the carrying member. Cylinders 22 and 23 are of such size that there is an. annular space 2-? between them and carrying member 15. At their adjacent ends the cylinders are spaced apart as iiulicated at 28.

The stationary portion of the packing conu'irises a cylindrical carrying member llzledat one end to turbine casing 7 indicated. at 3]. rl' autened to the free end of memln-a- 30 is an annular packing element 32 which surrouiuls purl-ring element 22 and the inner endo-f packing elen'ient 23 and is provided with annular packing teeth 33 which pack against packing teeth 24. Preferably packing element 32 is fixed to carrying member 30 by welding after the manner already described in connection with carrying member 15 and cylinders QQi'and 23. The welds are indicated atflel. Surrounding the outer end of rotating packing: element 23 is a stationary packing element 35 provided with. annular packing teeth 86. Packing element is fixed at its outer end to the end wall of a packing housing 37 which is fastened to casing '7 by bolts 38. Housing 37 defines two annular chambers 39 and 40 which surill!) round the packing. The adjacent ends of packing elements 32 and 353 are spaced apart to provide an annular passage 4-1 which communicates with cnamber 39, and in packing element 35 are a number of holes l2 which communi ate with chamber lt). Leading from chamber lt) is a conduit for leading away leakage steam. A similar conduit (not shown) is also provided in connection with chamber 35). These conduits may lead to any suitable points. Carrying member 30 is of such diameter that there is an annular space 4-11; between it and the stationary packing element 32.

lVith the above-described arrangement, it will be seen that elastic fluid will enter all the annular spaces 20, 27 and l-t and thatthus all the packing elements both stationary and rotating are subjected to elastic fluid of substantially the same temperature so that they expand and contract uniformly and together. Also, since the parts are in spaced relation to each other they are free to expand and contract without undue stresses being set up. The arrangement is of particular importance in starting up for at this time the casing is cold and, of course, heats up and expands at a much slower rate than do the packing parts. lVith a construction embodying my invention, the stationary packing elements an expand independently of the turbine casing or shell. The arrangement is preferably such that the stationary and rotating elements have about the same mass so they will heat up and expand at about the same rate thus maintaining the packing clearance uniform.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means. ll hat I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent of the United States, is

'1. ln a packing structure, the combination with relatively rotating members, of axially extending carrying elements fixed to and arranged in spaced relation to said members. axially extending packing elements carried by and arranged in spaced relation to said carrying elements, and means defining passages for admitting operating fluid to the spaces between the parts.

2. In a packing structure, the con'ibination with a shaft and an adjacent wall, of carrying elements fixed to and arranged in spaced relation to said shaft and wall, packing elements carried by and arranged in spaced relation to said carrying elements, and means defining passages for admitting elastic fluid to the spaces between the parts.

3. In a packing structure, the combination with a shaft and an adjacent wall, of an annular carrying member which surrounds the shaft in spaced relation thereto and is fixed to the shaft by a single connecting means, an annular carrying member fixed to the adjacent wall by a single connecting means, and packing elements carried. by said carrying members and in spaced relation thereto.

4. In a packing structure, the combination with a shaft and an adjacent wall, of an annular carrying member which surrounds the shaft in spaced relation thereto, said carrying member being fixed to the shaft at an intermediate point leaving its ends free, annular packing elements fixed to the free ends of the carrying member, and

arranged in concentric spaced relation thereto, a packing element which surrounds said first-named packing elements, and yielding means connecting it to said adjacent wall.

5. In a packing structure, the combination with a shaft and an adjacent wall, of an annular carrying member which surrounds the shaft in spaced relation thereto.

said carrying member being fixed to the my hand this 22nd day of March, 1923.

OSCAR JUNGGREN. 

